Insolence&Be Here Now - Interlude
by Meridian31
Summary: This is just a "missing moment" from between when Insolence ended and Be Here Now started. Today is the Anniversary of Adam and Bren in their world, so I wanted to post something. This totally sets up some future moments in Be Here Now. / / Adam Cole


Brenna had never seen Adam truly, honest-to-God nervous. Well, she probably had, but he'd always masked it with other emotions – like insolence.

There had been actual pacing that morning by him after he'd gotten out of the shower. He'd walked from his suitcase with one item, to the bathroom, and back several times. Brenna had watched quietly from the bed, knowing if she said anything it wouldn't matter.

Breakfast had been a strange affair. They talked about everything from that weekend that had happened; the matches they each had wrestled, Wrestlemania which they'd seen live, how wonderful all of their friends had performed throughout. But what they hadn't talked about was the elephant in the room.

Now that they were in the Uber, heading towards the NXT building for their 11AM meeting, Adam had taken to tapping his fingers on his leg with his free hand, his other hand clasping hers for all it was worth.

She understood _why_ he was nervous. This was a big deal; this was WWE. This was his life-long dream and it was almost achievable. A lot was riding on this meeting. Adam's ROH contract expired in just a few weeks, so whatever came from today would be what directed his future career choices…their future life choices.

Brenna felt confident based on the couple short phone calls Adam had previously had with Canyon, the Vice President of Talent, that he was going to be on the NXT roster within a couple months' time. She knew things could always go squirrely, this was professional wrestling after all, but her gut said otherwise.

"You need to breathe," she stated gently, squeezing her fingers around his. "You go in there like this, and they won't know whatto do with you."

"Just… _a lot_." So much was encased in those two words, and she respected that. But Adam being a mess wouldn't help the meeting.

"Hey, this isn't the be all, end all," Brenna said, looking over at him, willing him to look back at her. "No matter what happens today, you're still amazing and incredibly talented and my favorite person and you're gonna be just fine." When she finished her statement was when his head turned and his eyes finally came to hers. "I mean that, Adam. You...I know this is what you want, and I want it for you too, but if it doesn't go that way, it's gonna be OK anyway. We'll figure it out."

"Yea," Adam agreed, without basically any conviction. She had to hold back a sigh, trying to understand where he was coming from.

"Honestly, if you don't end up with a contract from this meeting, I'll probably drop dead," she decided. "You're meant to be doing this. I know it, you know it, so many know it."

"Hope so."

Brenna knew there was nothing she could say to quell his doubts and worries. He was a nervous, overwhelmed, anxious mess right now. It was understandable.

So instead of saying anything else, she lifted their hands, and placed a kiss on the back of his, before lowering them. Words might not help right now, but her presence she knew meant something. And she was going to remain present. This impending meeting could be anything, but she was here for it, here for Adam, and that's all she could really do.

And hope. She could hope. Which she was.

* * *

Brenna had anticipated Adam's physical release of tension upon leaving the building after their time inside.

What she hadn't anticipated was doing the same.

That had been _a lot_.

She'd gone in calmly, only being there as a support for Adam. She'd planned to spend his meeting time visiting the Performance Center, seeing friends and catching up. Sara Amato, better known to many as Sara Del Rey, had been an early influence and trainer for Brenna, and she had been the one to suggest a tour of the building and visiting to fill her time.

But that plan had swerved off path almost immediately.

 _Canyon had come to the entrance lobby and greeted both Adam and Brenna. There'd been a few moments of chit-chat before he'd dropped a bombshell._

 _"If you'll both follow me, we'll go into one of the conference rooms."_

 _"Oh, no…I'm just here to see Sara…" Brenna's protest had been hesitant, trying to be respectful but also refusing._

 _"She mentioned that," Canyon replied. "But there's actually something we'd like to talk with you about too."_

 _There was no room for further argument with his words. Canyon turned to lead them away, and it was then that Brenna looked at Adam. She mouthed 'What the fuck' to which he just shrugged._

 _When they'd entered the aforementioned room, they saw HHH, or rather Paul already in there, along with Matt Bloom, the head NXT trainer. And Sara. Sara, who was sitting at the table, and whose eyes immediately found Brenna's, swimming with happiness and…hope?_

 _What had they just walked in to?_

 _The meeting itself had been mostly about Adam; what they would expect from him, what he would expect from the company. It became clear, at least to Brenna, that they were pretty much already agreed upon signing him, and when loose ideas were discussed pairing him with old colleagues, she knew his fate was set._

 _Her part in the proceedings had been limited. Adam was an adult, a professional, and he could handle himself just fine. She was only there to act as a second set of ears, a person to debrief with after the fact. It was later, when it was just him and her, that she'd bring up any concerns she had._

 _So when the meeting had turned to her, she had felt like a deer in headlights._

 _"Well, Brenna," Paul started, his eyes immediately going to hers. While he seemed friendly enough throughout, he was still the man in charge, and that authority was well-seen across him. "I know you weren't expecting to be here, and I just wanted to say thank you for going with the change. Sara had mentioned you were coming down, and it seemed like the right time to talk to you about something that we want you involved in."_

 _Brenna remained silent, allowing the man to speak. Though from the corner of her eye, she saw Sara watching her._

 _"As you probably saw announced this weekend, we are doing a women's tournament. And to just cut to it, we want you to be a competitor in it."_

 _Was the room closing in on her? Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe? Her head didn't feel right. Her whole body didn't feel right. Why couldn't she feel her hands anymore?_

 _They had literally just confirmed this tournament a couple days ago. If they were asking her to be in it, they must have been talking about her for some time. She had not expected or ever thought her name was being thrown around in the WWE._

 _"I…was not expecting this," she finally spoke, realizing everyone was looking at her._

 _"That was kind of the idea," Sara stated. Brenna turned towards her friend, narrowing her eyes just a bit, which made Sara laugh. "I know. You hate surprises. But, sometimes things just fall together at the right time. And honestly, Bren, having you be a part of this, it makes sense."_

 _How did Sara know she would need convincing? Oh, right, because Sara knew her pretty well._

 _It wasn't that Brenna never wanted to be a part of the WWE. When she had first started wrestling, like so many, it had been the goal. But somewhere along the way in the past 8 years, she'd realized how much she loved indy wrestling and the freedom it gave her. She loved wrestling, she loved announcing, she loved helping people grow and succeed. And given how her life had changed so drastically in the past year, she had found comfort in that world and had been reborn there. She wasn't looking to walk away from that anytime soon. But that didn't mean the WWE wasn't still a goal of hers._

 _A lot would be taken from, changed by her by joining WWE. While Adam saw the opportunities, Brenna saw the restrictions. She wasn't normally the pessimist, but this time, she couldn't stop herself._

 _"We're not expecting you to tell us anything right now," Paul spoke up. "But we would like you to think about it and let us know sometime this month."_

 _"I can do that," Brenna agreed, grateful that there had been no anticipation of a final answer from her today. "And just so we're clear, this is just about the tournament, correct?"_

 _"Just the tournament," Canyon confirmed. That brought her some comfort._

There was brief further talk about dates and vague ideas, for both Adam and Brenna, before the meeting had ended. Afterward, they both had gone with Matt and Sara into the PC, getting a tour, seeing friends.

Roddy had basically leaped out of nowhere, securing Adam in what could only be described as an octopus hug. Heidi, now known as Ruby, had squeezed Brenna incredibly tight, kissing both of her cheeks and declaring her 'the hottest thing to walk in here today', which had made Adam roll his eyes. Johnny had greeted them both in a far calmer manner, asking if they were still coming over for dinner tomorrow night with Candice and him.

Brenna wondered if her tag partner was being considered for the women's tournament as well. She couldn't imagine she wasn't. Candice was the best female on the indy circuit at the moment in her opinion, personal bias aside. She would have to talk to her about it tomorrow night. Even if Candice wasn't a part of it, Brenna needed her input on the situation for her own sake.

"So…that happened," Adam's voice broke her thoughts as they waited outside for their car to arrive to take them back to the hotel.

"That happened," Brenna concurred, looking over towards him. It was only a moment later that he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. She closed her eyes as she laid her head on his shoulder, settling her arm around his lower back. "Can we go drink now?"

"Of course," he laughed the words. "All the liquor you want, baby."

"I just… _fuck_ , man. This was supposed to be about YOU."

"It was," Adam replied. "But you're a part of me, so I think it's kind of fitting honestly it was what it was."

"Don't be sweet right now," Brenna grumbled. "I was only prepared to be your council, nothing more. I can't even comprehend what just happened. I think I blacked out."

"What just happened is arguably the biggest wrestling company in the world said they want you to be a part of a groundbreaking event because you're _that_ amazing."

"…how about we focus on the fact that they already have amazing ideas for you when you sign?"

" _If_ ," Adam corrected. "As you blacked out, let me remind you, there was no contract offer made today."

"Technicalities," she waved off. "They just need to write it up based on what you all talked about today. You're doing this babe, this is gonna happen."

He wasn't allowed a response as the paid-car pulled up. Adam, ever the gentleman, opened the door for her to slide in before following after. The car ride was quiet, each taking in the Florida scenery as they were driven back to their hotel. Brenna's mind was still racing, trying to comprehend all that had just occurred.

By the time they reached their room, she had declared it was time to go up to the rooftop bar and get a buzz going.

Was it the healthiest way to deal with an overwhelming day? No. Did she give a shit at that moment? Not even a little.

Adam put up no argument, as each changed into less formal, but still nicer clothes. He opted to give up his dress pants for dark jeans, leaving on the black button up, which he rolled the sleeves up on. She chose to change her outfit from dress pants and a top to a flowing dress patterned with flowers. It haltered around her neck, with an open back, and a high-slit. It was perfect for the Florida afternoon.

Before leaving the room, she made him take a picture in the full-length mirror with her. Today had been a big day for them, and if it amounted to something, she wanted to have a tangible memory of it.

"You're so beautiful," he'd whispered to her prior to the picture, resulting in the stupidest grin on her face.

When they arrived at the roof, they were seated almost immediately at a table under an umbrella along the outer railing, allowing them to overlook the city. Their drink orders were taken, both settling on something liquor-based, and Brenna adding on two vanilla vodka shots. Adam had said nothing at that, just shook his head with a chuckle.

"It's gorgeous up here," she commented, her sunglass-covered eyes sweeping over the bustling metropolis below.

"Gorgeous enough to live in?" Adam questioned. While she loved that her sunglasses were reflective not allowing for him to see her eyes, she hated that his were darkened and didn't allow her the same as she looked back to him.

"I'm a California kid, this is a lateral move. You, my sweet Northern baby, would be the one struggling with an adjustment."

"I'd be OK giving up the cold," he decided. "Might miss the snow sometimes."

"I like the snow, for a moment. I'm over it quickly."

"I know," Adam stated. "I've been on the road with you for many years."

Brenna stuck her tongue out at him, quickly morphing her face back to normal as the waiter appeared again to set down their drinks. She took a healthy drink from hers, relishing in the sweetness, and the just-right taste of the vodka.

"So what do we toast to?" he questioned, setting down his own drink to pick up the filled shot glass.

"Hmm," she contemplated, picking up her own glass. "To us?"

"To the future?"

"To the past?"

"To having each other's backs?"

"I'll be the greatest fan of your life," Brenna declared, quoting the well-known song, with a grin. Adam smiled genuinely at her words.

"I really like that," he decided earnestly. "I'll be the greatest fan of your life." He held his glass up to hers, clinking them briefly before each drank down the liquid. Brenna kept herself from shuddering, instead picking up her mixed drink and taking another healthy drink from it. Adam seemed to have less of a reaction but took his drink all the same, sipping it.

"So, my beautiful girl, what's your thoughts on what they offered you?"

"I don't even want to think about it," Brenna decided, wishing she had another vodka shot.

"Bren, c'mon," Adam chastised. "That was HUGE. I know it was unexpected, but the fact they're asking you almost immediately after making the announcement…means they really want you."

"I can accept that, but it was totally unexpected, and I just…I need some time to work through all of it," she stated. "I want to talk to Candice tomorrow and just…figure it out."

"You can't talk to me?"

"It's _different_ , Adam," Brenna sighed. "For women in this business, it always has been. And I just…need to talk to someone else who fully gets that perspective first. Because I know you want to get it, and I wish you did, but it's not the same for you and me to do something with WWE."

"I know, I hear you but…I still want to support you."

"You are, just sitting here with me right now, you are. It's just…like, this would be like me complaining to you about the struggles of wearing make-up in the ring. You just _won't get it_. This is a lady issue. It's shit that it is, but it is."

"You've literally put make-up on me before."

"And you're welcome," Brenna replied with a self-satisfied grin. "But that's not the same."

"I know," Adam conceded. "I just…"

"Wanna be the greatest fan of my life?"

"Every damn day." She couldn't help but smile widely at that. Adam obviously wanted the best for her, even if he couldn't understand what that was. She adored him at that moment. This was what a relationship was meant to be; supportive, challenging, reflective, caring.

"Hey, babe?" Adam's eyes met hers at her inquiry. "Me and you."

"Me and you, baby. Me and you."


End file.
